Channel 4 - "TFI Friday" Interview (UK) - 13 June 2000

Chris Evans: Hi ! Welcome to the show....

Anna: OK !

CE: Now Anna, can you just stand up for a second, just 1 second... (Anna stands up)... Look at that teeny little belly. You're never gonna get a baby in there are ya ?

AF: I will !! One day when I'm 30, I'm sure I'll put a few pounds on between now and then.

CE: You were once worried about your weight weren't you ?

AF: No !! (sounds adamant and smiles)

CE: Oh - alright. That's a piece of info out the window. That researcher completely fired. How long ago, has it been since you've been in Brookside.

AF: er... 8 months ago I left...

CE: er, now do you regret leaving and have you got any money left ?

AF: Yes I have got some money left and I've earnt money since then so that's been OK, but, er, I miss all the people dreadfully - but it's great to be doing lots of different things and things are going really well, so....

AF: er, when I get time to - yes !

AF: I do !! No - I do !! I do !! I watch all the time, I'm a soap fan.

CE: So the answers "yes" ?

AF: Yes !! Yes Chris !!

CE: Well let's test you then. What's the biggest storyline at the moment in Brookie ?

AF: er... the Mike story about the drugs.

CE: Yeah - fair enough [audience cheers!!] . Mike's still stuck in Bangkok with Jackie [in terrible scouse accent]... er, so you have left, you don't regret leaving ?

AF: No. I planned 9 months beforehand, so it wasn't....

CE: Hmmm, 9 months beforehand, what does that mean ?

AF: [grins] I know !! Well it's...

AF: Have you seen my belly?

CE: No I've not..I have seen your belly earlier on actually, she.... Anna don't please.. We all saw your belly earlier on you know we did, she had this...

AF: I had, my zip broke on my jeans that I was wearing this morning... and then.. [Audience moan as if to say "Yeah sure !!"]

CE: So what have you been doing ? Tell us then.

AF: erm.., well I was in Budapest doing a film for TV and at the moment I'm about to do a new feature that starts 9th April called "The Tribe" so I've gotta learn a "darn sarf" accent for tha you see, so...

CE: You're having speech coach lessons... ?

AF: Yeah.

CE: ....to do "darn sarf" ?

AF: Well I had to do a Welsh accent for the last one and a "darn sarf" for this.

CE: Do us your Welsh !!

AF: [puts on a very husky Welsh accent] Well you see you have to talk like that dont .. My name is Sinead and I'm from Wales.

CE: Ooh isnt that nice !

AF: [still in Welsh accent] You want to go out for a drink tonight then do you ?

CE: Yeah - yeah I do !! [said in trance like voice]. That would be lovely !!! And this one isn't a cockney though is it ? It's just down south ?

AF: No it isnt, it's just a slight tinge, so instea of... - I say "bath" and "mum", they say "barth" and mam", so

CE: But you're very happy at the moment ?

AF: I'm very happy.

CE: And you had to audition for this, you had to do a screen test ?

AF: I had to have 5 auditions, and 1 and a half hours, we worked, cos they're very, the look of the group, it's about a cult, is very very important. They had to match all the people up, so er...

CE: Right, so you match ...

AF: [laughs] Yes we do !

CE: Thank heaven for that. Now we've talked before and you've already told me this. When you want to cry on screen, you think about your dad's empty guitar case.

AF: Empty... [laughs] No I don't, no !!

CE: Yes that is... you do ?

AF: No I... There's different ways you can, you can, different methods you can use to make yourself cry and, touch wood, I've not had anything drastic happen to me.

CE: But you do think about your dad in awkward situations ?

AF: I think about, no I think , you know you link objects to certain people - my dad's a wonderful guitarist and I link my...

CE: Just say... the sadness of the loss of his guitar...

AF: No !! [laughs] no no it sounds stupid now !

CE: Just say yes !!

AF: Yes.

CE: 'Cos we got your dad to do something for you - special !

AF: Have you ? [surprised]

CE: Yeah !!

AF: Yeah ??

CE: Just say yes...

AF: Yeah !!

CE: Thank god for that !!! Now you see, we thought you had to imagine your dad..

AF: You don't say it well !!

CE: We thought you had to imagine your dad going...

AF: His music - he's a wonderful...

CE: Yeah.. in unfortunate situations ! Yeah, well we thought pain. How about your dad suffering pain ? So Des, your dad..

AF: Right !

CE: ...who's a teacher...

AF: Yeah [grinning]

CE: .... has agreed to suffer household pain. Just look at that screen there. See if this makes you cry. This is your dad, Des. Is that your dad ? [cuts to Des at Anna's house]

AF: Yeah ! [Des stubs his toe on leg of a table]

CE: That was your dad stubbing his toe !! Right. It's not making you cry is it ?

AF: Is this... is this live or is this pre... ?

CE: Yeah, this is live at your house now !! At this very moment !!

AF: That's my house !! [sounding overwhelmed]

CE: Yes I know it's your house. So we want more pain for your dad. What's next Will ? What are we gonna do next ?

Will: It's the drill I believe...

CE: Oh yeah ! He's gonna hurt himself with the drill. Let's see if this makes her cry. [audience goes "ahhhh"]. This is her dad Des. [cut to Des drilling in garage, camera moves closer and suddenly blood spurts up to indicate he's drilled into his leg/arm ?]

AF: Ahhh !!

CE: Any sign of tears, no ?

AF: No.

CE: No !! Just laughter !!

AF: Oh that.... I miss my dad, I really do !! [audience goes "ahhhh" again]

CE: It's not real. He's not really done that to his leg. OK, well still we want some tear ducts opening here. What about if we drop a fridge on your dad ?? A washing machine sorry !! We didnt get a fridge. Let's have a look at this.

AF: Shall I well tears ?? [cut to Des standing outside. Suddenly a washing machine falls down and completely squashes him - obviously all done by film cuts ! AF squeal with laughter at this finding it very very funny !!] Oh I asked... I asked Chris earlier did he have any surprises for me on the show and he says "Oh nah, nah"

CE: No, not at all. Just you dad having a washing machine dropped on his head. I don't know how we did that but it's very impressive. You're gonna see Oasis tonight in Dublin ?

AF: Yeah !

CE: safe journey, you gotta go !

AF: Yeah !

CE: Anna Friel - there she is everybody [audience cheers]... and Anna Friel's dad, Des, who we love. Thankyou Des if you're watching